HelpfulGardener.com

Hi everyone! I'm new in gardening and I have so many questions! Could you please help me at least with one of them? My husband bought me a rose in a pot in March (almost 6 months ago). I have not repotted it yet. And it was fine, up to now. The flowers get smaller and they look kind of wrinkled. And now the leaves are turning yellow (mostly at the bottom). I deleted all of the yellow leaves. I water the rose every day or every other day, depending on moisture in soil. I also spray it when I water it. I think I should repot it. But I am leaving for 5 days. So should I repot it before I leave or after (nobody will be looking after it). And what else should I do to make my plant healthy and happy? thank you

Can you dig a hole outside and put it -pot and all- in the hole? Top it with some mulch? Then let the sprinkler system take care of watering it?

You can then properly transplant it into a bigger pot when you return and have time. Make sure the holes at the bottom of the pot drain well. I would dig a hole outside in a location where it gets only a few hours of early morning sun or dappled sun since it is not used to being outside.

I am not sure what the yellowing is all about. Make sure all that water is needed. Look for indoor pests. While inside, keep it away from air vents as these can dry the plant quickly. Spraying might promote blackspot. Do not go overboard with fertilizers. A stressed plant should not get fed fertilizers but, being a potted plant, you need to feed it some to replenish the minerals lost by all the watering.

Just wondering... Have you considered planting it outside? It may or may not be ok to do that. You would need to know if it is winter hardy to your zone and what your USDA Zone is (a local nearby plant nursery should be able to tell you what your zone is; Internet tools can also do that using your zip code).

Generally speaking, roses should not be grown indoors. A properly maintained greenhouse is an exception to this rule, but roses won't work as a typical houseplant on a windowsill since they need a lot of light, air circulation, a cool dormancy period, and so on.

On the other hand, you can grow them in containers outside. Just be sure to give them enough room since most of them are shrubs, and put them in a sunny place with gritty, free-draining potting soil. I've got a Knock-Out rose on my south-facing balcony that has been outside since spring of 2010, and it has been growing and blooming great, so it can be done.